


Noodles and Company

by geekbaits



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-02
Updated: 2016-09-01
Packaged: 2018-03-15 23:29:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3465992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geekbaits/pseuds/geekbaits
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mako is working part time at Narook's seaweed noodlery. Eight months into Mako's employment there, Narook hires his niece Korra as a hostess in hopes of helping her recover from her most recent breakup. Narook asks Mako to help Korra and, because Mako doesn't know how to say "no," he begrudgingly agrees to his boss' request. - Makorra, mentions of Korrasami, AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

One of Mako's favorite things about working at Narook's was the fact that it was a fairly quiet place. As the clock ticked closer to closing time – 10 o'clock – things began to wind down in the store. Patrons slowly made their way out, most ignoring Mako's half-hearted wishes for them to have a good night, and Mako spent this down time studying.

The evenings spent at Narook's typically went down like this and Mako couldn't have been any more satisfied with the hosting job he secured at the small Water Tribe noodlry a little over eight months ago.

As a criminology major whose intentions were to enroll in the Republic City Police Academy right after graduation, Mako spent most of his days buried in textbooks, studying why criminals did bad things. He found it to be all too interesting and was quite thankful to have found a job that didn't distract him too much from these interests. Mako's boss, Narook, was very supportive of Mako's goals and didn't seem to be bothered with his main host leaning over a textbook most of his shift.

It wasn't like there were so many customers that Mako had to remain on his feet all six hours of his shift.

"Another good shift, Mako?" Narook asked the 19-year-old who was wiping down the last set of tables for the night.

"Not bad," Mako answered, prompting the older man to grin widely at his best worker. Out of the four employees Narook had hired for his small restaurant, Mako seemed to be his favorite.

The boy was mature and reliable, not to mention a hard worker with a good ear. During his eight months working, Narook and Mako had learned a lot about one another due to the fact that Mako was always willing to stay the latest out of all his coworkers.

Those late nights allowed Narook a glimpse into Mako's life when he wasn't working. Mako had a younger brother who wished to enlist in the United Republic's Armed Forces as soon as he graduated from high school, he was raised by his grandmother due to being orphaned at the age of eight, and he planned to enroll in the Beifong Police Academy as soon as he secured his degree from the university.

In return, Mako too learned about his boss. Narook lost his wife and children in a fire over a decade ago, his recipe is a well-kept family secret from the Southern Water Tribe, and Narook has a sister back home in the Water Tribe and a niece who started college at the University of Republic City that semester. As time passed, Narook began to talk more and more about his niece, Korra.

"She's kind of abrasive when you first meet her, but she grows on you really quickly," he promised.

Mako could tell that Narook's love for his only niece ran very deeply. From what Mako learned, Korra was an athlete who somehow managed to train a wild polar bear dog. She was an only child who had always wanted a taste of the city life and was finally getting it. Nothing else in particular stood out to Mako until Narook approached him two months ago.

"Wait, what's wrong with Korra?" Mako asked, sweeping up broken piece of chopsticks left on the floor.

Narook sighed forlornly and sat down on the stool closest to Mako, "Her girlfriend just broke up with her. They'd been together since high school and my sister tells me that Korra isn't doing too well."

"That's…that really sucks."

Mako had never been one to console those who were mourning over something, especially the loss of a significant other. 'How can I even sympathize, I've never even dated before?' he thought bitterly to himself before turning back to Narook, "Well, I hope that she…um, recovers from this soon. She seems like the type that can bounce back quickly."

"I hope so," Narook said, "I mean, Korra really loved Asami. When Asami went away to school in the Earth Kingdom, that crushed her. It took a full three weeks for Korra to get over that, and that was when they were together! Imagine how long it'll take for her to get over it now!"

After that conversation, Mako had expected to hear news of Korra's recovery soon after, but none came. Two months later, Narook spoke again.

"I hired Korra to start working here," he told Mako. Mako stopped sweeping to look up at his boss.

"Really?"

"Really. She isn't getting any better and her mother is worried sick. We figured that this might be good for her."

Mako thought about it for a moment and nodded, "I mean, yeah, but don't you think you guys are moving too quickly. You said it yourself: she really loved…uh, Asami, was it?"

"Yes, but we also want to teach her how to stand up and move on her own," Narook answered. "She's going to start tomorrow. Mako, could you do me a favor when she comes here and…I don't know, make friends with her? Or try to at least? She's been alone in that apartment of hers since the breakup and I don't think she has anybody to talk to."

The teen stood at his full height, leaning his elbow against the broom, "Narook…I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Please, Mako! I'm begging you. I hate to see her hurting like this and maybe if she were to make friends with someone her age for a change, she'll start to feel better. Can you just do this one thing for me? Please?"

Mako was really good at reading people and by the way Narook looked at him, earnest and pleading, he could tell how important Korra was to him. He was vaguely reminded of the time his younger brother begged him to keep their fire ferret, Pabu. Mako knew he was going to cave.

Sighing, Mako nodded.

"I'll see what I can do."


	2. crazy

Korra was five minutes late to her first shift.

Remembering the promise he made to Narook the night before, Mako tried to banish the irritation from his mind, but with every passing second, he found it more difficult to remain calm and patient. Upset and depressed or not, when Korra took on this responsibility, she had agreed to work on a team with others who would depend on her. Mako already had that no good Hasook to deal with, he really didn't need another sucky co-worker to waste his shifts with.

Luckily for Mako, Wednesday afternoons weren't very busy at Narook's. Other than himself, Opal, the lone waitress working, and the noodle chef Tahno working in the back, there were only two customers quietly dining in the back.

'I wonder if I should tell Narook about this…' Mako thought.

The ringing of the bell brought the host out of his reverie, calling his attention to the front door.

Though Mako had never seen this girl before, he immediately recognized her by her bright blue eyes and crooked grin—they were exactly like Narook's.

"Hey, sorry I'm late! I called my uncle and explained the whole thing," Korra explained breathlessly, stopping before Mako to bend over and catch her breath. Mako took this moment to take in her appearance.

Narook's niece Korra was of average height with an impressively solid build; Mako didn't have to look very hard to see the gun show peeking out from her blue short-sleeved shirt. He absentmindedly wondered if living isolated on a block of ice at the bottom of the world only gave Korra the option of working out to pass the time. No, her uncle did mention that she was an athlete, attending the university on a scholarship.

What was it she played again? Air ball? Power disc? Mako himself wasn't particularly familiar with what sports the school offered since his free time was eaten up with studying or work. Scheduling enough time to work out was already hard enough for him, but to actually dedicate to a  _sports team_?

Mako didn't have the time.

The young man raised his eyes to observe the rest of Korra's crouching figure. Korra was dark skinned, with messy brown hair tied into a high pony tail and a deep voice that still gave off a warmth that Narook had explained so clearly to Mako in one of their late night talks.

It was hard to believe that someone as strong looking as Korra fell into a depression that kept her isolated in her apartment for two months. 'Are you sure this is the same girl you're talking about, Narook?' Mako thought incredulously, shaking his head at the idea of her bawling her eyes out off in some dark corner.

"Um, is there something you wanna share with the class, cool guy?"

'Shit!' Mako's eyes flew open at the sudden revelation that he had been staring at Korra the entire time. Full-on staring. Indiscreetly staring. And caught at his staring. He fought back the heated flush that threatened to rise on his cheeks. He hadn't said anything to the girl yet and he was already submitting to the awkward nature that everyone agreed he had.

"Um, hey. I'm Mako."

"Hey," Korra's grin widened as she reached over to give Mako dap. Robotically, the 19-year-old extended his fist to tap against hers before taking it back.

'Is she serious? Is Narook fucking serious?'

"Uncle said I was gonna be working the front of the house today?"

"Yeah, I'll be training you today, so you can officially start as a hostess tomorrow. Let's get started."

* * *

 

When Narook said that Korra was abrasive, Mako didn't particularly think much of it. Just that she was a little assertive and a go-getter. As his time with Korra passed, he was starting to realize how grossly wrong he was.

"Korra, no, the trays go here, not there."

"I got it Mako, stop nagging me!"

"I'm only trying to help you!"

Mako had never raised his voice at a co-worker in his life. Sure, he'd be a little snarky and passive aggressive toward Hasook whenever he decided to be a no good no show, but with Korra?

"God Mako, you're like a fucking  _helicopter host_!"

It was so  _easy_ to get pissed off at her.

"A what?"

"A helicopter host! As in you're always up my ass making sure I'm not fucking it up. I got this, back up!"

'Fucking psycho,' Mako snarled in his mind, rolling his eyes as Korra stomped away from him for the umpteenth time that afternoon. They were going into their fifth hour and he was already getting ready to grab the girl by the collar and toss her ass out onto the street where the garbage collector could claim its fill.

It was funny how Narook conveniently left out that his  _precious_ only niece was a  _raging lunatic_. Mako huffed impatiently when he saw Korra forget to switch wash cloths  _again_ and bounded over to where she vigorously scrubbed the table. Wordlessly, Mako snatched the rag from her hands.

"Mako! What the hell are you—"

"Shut the hell up, woman! You forgot to switch the rags.  _Again_."

Korra scowled at Mako before snatching her washcloth from him. Mako opened his mouth to chew the girl out again, only to be silenced when she threw the wet towel in his face.

Mako spluttered angrily, "Korra!"

Ignoring her coworker's positively  _frightening_ glare, Korra spat her tongue out and ripped the new washcloth from his clenched fist. When Mako refused to move from his spot next to her, Korra bumped her hip roughly against his.

"Get outta the way, jerk."

" _What_?!" Korra repeated the motion, this time a little harder, so that Mako would actually stumble backwards into an open chair. As Mako rose from his seat, he noted (with irritation and awe) that Korra was going to leave a bruise on his hip tomorrow morning. He wanted to tell Korra that she sucked at listening to people, but given the nature of their situation, he figured that his accusations would—no surprise—fall on deaf ears.

Grumbling angrily to himself, Mako stormed to the front of the house and finished cleaning there. He only had an hour left to deal with the fucking lunatic singing off key in the back of the restaurant.

It was the first time Mako regretted staying behind later than his other coworkers.

* * *

"So, how was Korra?" Narook asked the following afternoon.

Mako fought back his grimace and the natural response that was bubbling to his lips.

'How was Korra? Fucking awful. She's a menace. The woman is hardheaded and bossy and she _doesn't fucking listen_. She never learned to put shit back where they belonged and she's always. Fucking. Singing. Off key too. Not to mention there's this really fucking annoying mouth breathing thing she does when she's mad and she just really fucking drives me  _crazy._ '

Ignoring the internal monologue burning brightly in the pit of his stomach, Mako managed to turn all of his frustrations into a nonchalant shrug.

"Not bad."

"Oh, fuck off, Mako." Korra snapped from the front door.

It was almost as if his response were in sync with hers because as soon as he heard that  _irritating, arrogant, stupid_ voice, Mako's eyes rolled hard into the back of his head. Narook watched wide-eyed as Korra trudged past her Uncle and coworker, making sure to shove Mako out of her way before disappearing in the back.

"Not bad, huh?" Narook didn't even try to conceal his smirk. Mako let out an annoyed sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger; Narook clapped Mako on the back soundly and released a loud guffaw. Narook's eyes twinkled fondly as they drifted between Mako and the direction his niece had disappeared in.

"It's a good start. She usually does that if she likes you."

"What does that even mean?" Mako groaned.

Mako had agreed to listen to a weepy a girl complain about a breakup, not endure her childish shit. Hell, not even Mako was used to responding this passionately towards someone. The response she had effortlessly elicited from him in one encounter made Mako hate Korra a little bit more in the back of his mind.

"Hey Mako! Get your lazy ass back here, we gotta clock in!"

"God, shut the hell up Korra!" Mako snapped. He stopped his tirade in time to realize that he had just spoken to his boss' niece in such an unprofessional manner. Carefully, Mako glanced over to observe Narook's reaction.

The older man was grinning.

"Not bad at all, Mako. You guys will get along great!"

"Mako, if I have to you again…!"

Between Korra's incessant nagging and Narook's rather  _irritating_  confidence in a blossoming friendship between the two, Mako knew deep inside that he wasn't going to be able to escape the wild shitstorm he knew as Korra for a while.

Silently, Mako resigned himself to his fate.


	3. semi-charmed life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they get a sticker for trying to get along.

Maybe Korra was just being mean for the hell of it.

“God, Korra! What did you just throw on me? Wha— _is that old fish broth?!_ ”

“Oh, suck it up. It’s not like any girls are gonna try to hang around you anyway.”

“You’re a nightmare.”

…or maybe there was something about tormenting Mako that made Korra feel just a little better about this whole ‘Asami’ situation. The 18-year-old watched with glee as her coworker angrily stormed to the restroom to clean up the fish broth she had unceremoniously squirted at his apron. It wasn’t like she hadn’t done anything worse before to Mako, that stiff.

If there was one thing Korra couldn’t stand, it was a know-it-all.

Actually, it was a know-it-all who walked around with a chip on their shoulder. God, that kind of person pissed Korra off _so_ much, so it was naturally easy for her to want to annoy Mako every opportunity she got.

It was certainly a lot easier than thinking of _her_.

The grin on Korra’s face faded as a sharp pain rippled over her body, effectively stunning her. The gaping hole—which remained as wide and fresh as the day Asami had left—throbbed painfully. Korra ignored the worried looks she had received from Opal the waitress and quietly excused herself to the restaurant where she could compose herself. She quickly shut the door behind her and locked it, pressing her back against the wooden surface.

‘Deep breaths, deep breaths,’ Korra repeated to herself. She breathed in and out deeply, an exercise she had been practicing for the past two months; she tried her best to ignore the hot stinging sensation in her eyes, but she knew she wasn’t going to hold up for much longer.

Korra had tried so hard to not cry for the past two months, and with each passing day, resistance was becoming increasingly difficult.

It didn’t help much that the bathroom were decorated with Fire lilies, Asami’s favorite flowers, or that the walls were a bright jade with purple accents—what kind of business did Narook even have using _green_ in a Water Tribe themed restaurant? Korra silently cursed her uncle as her eyes screwed shut. Unbidden memories washed over her paralyzed form.

_‘Korra, this isn’t working between us.’ It was three days from their fourth year together and Korra couldn’t believe what she was hearing over the phone. A cold sweat broke on her forehead as she began to comprehend what Asami was saying._

_Her heart throbbed at the thought of being without Asami._

_‘Asami, please. We can make this work. If we just try—‘_

_‘We’ve been trying for the past nine months, Korra. We’re holding each other back; it’s better this way…’_

_Korra couldn’t believe what was happening._

_She hadn’t fallen in love with Asami because it was convenient. It was because it was so easy to fall for her._

_She recounted the first time she had seen Asami in high school; the girl was a year ahead of Korra, but it only took Korra one look. That was it. One glance at Asami Sato walking to her next class and Korra was a goner._

_Perhaps it was the way her dark tresses flowed down her back or the way her green eyes sparkled or even the way her dark lips would always be curved into a kind smile, brightly greeting everyone she saw—whatever it was about Asami, Korra had decided to slip a letter into her shoebox that day during lunch._

_And the rest was history._

_Until now._

_Korra was sweating, her palms were cold and clammy, her heart was beating in an irregular, disjointed rhythm—she could feel something ripping deep inside._

_‘It’s better this way, Korra.’_

_The 18-year-old hadn’t even thought that this would happen to her. Being jilted by someone you were so deeply in love with just didn’t happen to Korra. No, anybody else except her. She thought that Asami was it._

_Terrified blue eyes flew to the small bedside table where a photo of Korra and Asami posing inside silly cutouts at her hometown’s Glacier Spirits Festival stood. Her heart quivered painfully as she lowered her gaze to the hand-carved choker lying beneath the picture frame._

_Korra had planned to give it to Asami when they met for the winter break…_

_‘I-If that’s what you really want, Asami.’_

_…but now she wasn’t going to get that opportunity, Korra thought as her fingers, cold and numb, reached up to hit the ‘end’ button._

_‘It is. Thank you for the best three years I could have ever asked for. Good-bye, Korra.’_

_Korra terminated the call without responding._

A pounding at the door brought Korra back to the present. The throbbing in Korra’s chest hadn’t stopped and she could feel another wave of fresh tears threatening to run down her face.

She blinked multiple times to stop it, but to no avail.

The pounding on the door didn’t stop.

“Korra, are you in there?”

‘That shithead, Mako,’ Korra realized at last and, with a new sense of purpose successfully halting her desire to cry into next week, Korra whipped around, lifted the bolt, and ripped open the door.

“ _What_?” the girl snarled. To his credit, Mako didn’t bristle at Korra’s attitude. Korra bitterly noted that he must have been expecting this reaction. Mako rolled his eyes at Korra’s theatrics and brushed off her hostility.

“I was checking to make sure you didn’t fall into the toilet. Now c’mon, we gotta go clear the vacated tables.”

“Do it yourself, you dick.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me! Do it yourself!” she snapped, her shouts echoing through the back of the house. Mako heard the kitchen door crack open, no doubt the kitchen boys wanting to know what the hullabaloo was about.

Mako pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, a gesture he had picked up after years of dealing with his baby brother, Bolin. Taking a deep breath, Mako squared his shoulders to face Narook’s niece.

“Korra, when you were hired here, you agreed to work on a team. We need you to contribute to the team now, otherwise we won’t be running the best we can.”

“I don’t fucking care. Leave me alone.”

“Korra—“

“Shut the fuck up, Mako. God, why do you have to talk to me like I’m five years old? You’re always walking around with this air of entitlement and it _pisses me off_ ; who do you think you are? Acting as if you have a chip on your shoulder. I could care less about anybody on this team. I only came here because my uncle asked me to. That’s it, so please go fucking take your know-it-all bullshit and throw yourself out in front of a bus.”

“You know what?” Mako said angrily, backing away from his shaking coworker, “I’ll just go do that. You’re welcome to join us when you’re finished with your pity party. I don’t know what the hell is going on with you right now, but there _are_ people counting on you. And if you don’t want to help out, _then fucking go home_. You’re just taking up space. Later.”

Korra watched as Mako walked away, his heavy footsteps echoing behind him as he entered the dining hall. For once, she had nothing to say. The only thing that remained in Mako’s wake was a bitterness that beckoned a stream of tears to cascade down her face. Korra hastily swiped away the moisture before running out the back door. She vaguely heard the shutting of the kitchen door before she passed it.

She welcomed the cool evening air with open arms.

Republic City was a light show at night. From the back parking lot, Korra could see how the skyscrapers cast a bright glow against the rippling waters of Yue Bay. It sparkled and shimmered underneath the moonlight. In the distance, Korra could make out the isolated Buddhist monastery on Air Temple Island and, on the other side of the bay, the Avatar Aang memorial.

The smell of sea and salt filled Korra’s senses and, for the first time in weeks, she longed to be home. It should be spring around this time and her village would be expecting the arrival of otter-penguin pups for the annual festival. She remembered her childhood days on that block of ice at the bottom of the world; her mornings were filled with penguin sledding with the kids from the village and, in the afternoon, Korra would join her father on fishing trips that would run into the late evening.

Never would Korra ever think that she would long for that simplistic life again.

“If you stay out here for much longer, you’re going to catch a cold.”

Korra scoffed at her uncle and shook her head, “Uncle, please. You know very well that this weather is child’s play compared to home.”

Narook’s chuckles made Korra wish to see her parents again.

“Can I sit?”

She shrugged, “It’s your restaurant. I guess you wanna talk to me about ripping Mako a new one?”

Taking her uncle’s silence as admission, Korra groaned, “Uncle, why would you hire someone like him? He’s so _annoying!_ ”

“Who, Mako? No! He’s a good guy, you just gotta get to know him. He’s not entirely comfortable dealing with strangers, let alone crazy Water Tribe women.”

“Uncle!”

The uncle and niece laughed together before falling into a companionable silence. They remained quiet as they absorbed the sights and sounds of the city. The sound of Yue bay’s tides breaking against the shore, the sight of RC Police airships sailing above Kyoshi Bridge, the sounds of little children playing power disc in the streets and someone yelling out “Satomobile” as a car approached their street game. Korra grinned as she listened to the pitter patter of their feet hitting the pavement, pausing to allow the car to pass before resuming the game. Korra folded her arms over her bent knees and rested her chin on top.

“Uncle, is he really as good a guy as you say? That Mako?”

“He’s a very reliable person,” Narook answered without missing a beat, “I think he’d be able to sympathize with what you’re going through right now.”

“What, he had a girlfriend who left him?” Korra scoffed, “With that know-it-all attitude, it’s not really a surprise.”

“No, honey, he knows about _loss_.” Narook replied softly, prompting the girl to look up at her uncle quizzically. Narook smiled sadly at Korra before continuing.

“Mako grew up without parents. They died when he and his brother were young, and he had to take care of himself and his brother until the rest of their family found them.”

“How long did that take?”

Narook rubbed his chin thoughtfully, “Well, they died when he was eight and his grandmother took over when he was 14…so I’d imagine that it was a while. He only recently moved back here with his brother, so it’s just them again.”

Eight years old. Korra thought about the time she was eight and she had gotten a fishing hook stuck in her thumb. Luckily, her mother was there to remove the obstruction and treat it. But Mako? Had that been him, he would have been walking around with a fishing hook in his thumb for a while. Even if he was a jerk, Korra couldn’t shake the sympathy she was starting to feel.

“What about their family?”

“They live in the Earth Kingdom. Mako takes his brother to see them every summer. He actually just got back from visiting them a few weeks ago. He worked overtime for three months to save up enough for both himself and his brother whilepaying for school. You know how expensive that school of yours is.”

“And he doesn’t have any other kind of help?” Korra asked, surprised.

The wizened smile that Narook gave Korra made her realize what he was getting at. _Oh_. ‘He’s always preaching about teamwork because he’s always doing all the work,’ she thought. ‘And Uncle was saying that he knows about…loss…even if she isn’t _dead_.’

Korra thought about the possibility of anybody that she loved—her mother, father, her polar bear dog, Naga, Narook… _Asami_ —not being on this earth anymore, and was overwhelmed by the force of pain that rippled over the gaping hole in her chest. The sensation knocked her over like a tidal wave, leaving her to drown in the anguish of physically _losing_ someone that she loved.

She took a few moments to take deep breaths and banished the notion from her mind, emerging from the depths of her thoughts with a newfound respect for Mako.

“Just try to get along with Mako,” Narook said, clapping a warm hand against Korra’s shoulder, “I’m sure you’ll come to like him with time.”

“I wouldn’t count on that,” she grumbled, ignoring Narook’s pointed look directed towards her. Clearing her throat, Korra stood and dusted off her apron, “but I’ll try.”

When Korra reentered the restaurant, she saw Mako studying at the register.

Taking a closer look at him, she could see the purple bruises forming underneath his eyes. He yawned behind a closed fist before flipping the page.

There was something about _seeing_ him work hard and hearing about his difficult upbringing that made Korra suddenly…want to be nice to him. Or at least try, he wasn’t going to make her feel sorry for him, Korra stubbornly stated. Swallowing her pride, Korra bounced up to her unsuspecting coworker, snatched the dishrag that rested underneath his elbow and bumped his hip with hers.

“Get outta the way. I’m trying to wipe down the counters.”

Mako jumped with a yelp, quickly regaining his composure when he realized who it was. He raised a brow at her sudden willingness to help but quickly dismissed his skepticism when he saw her apologetic smile.

Unable to resist the urge to return the gesture, Mako rolled his eyes and threw another towel at Korra.

“Well, don’t let me get in the way of you working hard—“

“Mako?”

“Yeah?”

“Shut up and study.”

“Right.”


End file.
